Quick Dog Tip of the Day: What is Deprivation in Dog Training?

The term “deprivation” has been discussed in dog training but there’s some debate as to whether or not it should be utilized. One of the main questions asked is, “Is it a good idea to keep your dog confined or isolated to get them more excited about training or working with you?” Depriving a dog of access to desired behaviors and items as a tool in training is something that’s been debated and will continue to be debated for years.

However, it’s already been proven that for some things like food or mental stimulation, there’s a minimum level which the dog needs for physical and mental health. For many other things, the notion of deprivation can be a relative thing that depends on the dogs’ environment and experience. Some will argue that rather simply depriving a dog of the things they love, why not use the things they love as rewards for the behaviors you want them to perform?

Using deprivation as a means of training your dog is really case dependent. We wish there were a right or wrong here but it simply depends on the kind of owner you are and the kind of dog you have. Personally I avoid all means of deprivation unless it’s absolutely necessary.

And if you use deprivation as your primary form of dog training you need to ask yourself, should you really be a dog owner? With enough patience and love you more than likely won’t have to deprive your dog of anything.

About The Author

Nat Berman

Nat is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Uncoached Corporation and all its properties. His primary roles are managing editorial, business development, content development, online acquisitions, and operations.Uncoached began in 2007 with one site and a goal of creating content that was clear, concise, worth reading, entertaining, and useful. Since then the portfolio has grown to 8 properties covering a wide array of verticals including business, personal finance, real estate, architecture, television, movies, entertainment, video games, lifestyle, pets, and more.

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